Developing a digital mindset for L&D: The Internet of Things

DM eBook feedbackThe Internet of Things (IoT) is a term used to talk about the practice of interconnecting the physical world – with its sensors and actuators – and the digital world.

It means that physical objects such as street lights, trains and planes can collect data automatically and can often be controlled remotely. I’d like to use this as a way to talk about approaches to technology that are ‘beyond a screen’. These approaches are not focused on keyboards and monitors, but on embedding technology into the world around us.

Screens as we know them are disappearing. Sony’s Xperia Touch projector combines gesture-sensing and projection technologies, meaning a table can be turned into an interactive workspace. Digital performance supports could be projected anywhere.

What is the impact of IoT on learning? Feedback.

At first it seems like IoT doesn’t have much to do with learning. But IoT is changing the way people work and also the technologies with potential for new types of learning that can be integrated into the workplace.

An example is an air conditioning system with sensors that are connected to a service agent’s customer relationship management system. When the system is not working correctly the service is automatically notified and a technician is sent out to fix the problem. Sensors in planes give pilots feedback on how they manage a flight compared to other pilots, for example how much fuel they’ve used. They can then modify their behaviour in order to decrease consumption. The integration of sensors into the world around us provides new ways to give employees feedback on their performance. The data might be sent to a central place or it might be provided in real time to the operator.

Digital technologies are not just about screens in offices.

This is not necessarily going to transform the way courses are delivered but it is changing the ecosystem of technologies that can be used for performance support and feedback.

Objects that give us feedback

The next stage is integrated support. An example that Stephen Downes has talked about is a scenario where an object like a fishing rod is fitted with sensors and voice features. The fishing rod then monitors what you are doing and provides feedback as voice prompts or vibrations. It’s a bit like the augmented reality approach of just-in-time performance supports, but it’s not screen based. It’s more physical and direct.

DM eBook devices speaking

The use of wearable activity trackers has become widespread. These most often take the form of a watch. Our lives become measured and tracked, often automatically. Making activity visible means it’s easier to track and understand and change. Building accountability into learning programs is an ongoing issue. Wearable devices and smartwatches can be used to check in on post-program goals and monitor behavioural change.

Spaces and devices that speak with us

There have been recent advances in voice recognition technologies that have made them more effective. Conversation interfaces change how we use technologies. It means that digital technologies ‘disappear’ and become a natural, automatic part of our world. When you’re with a group of people it’s an odd sensation to pause and look something up on your phone, as engaging with your phone is an intimate, solo activity. If you instead do a voice search while in the same group, your engagement with your phone becomes more of a group activity.

We now have powerful conversation interfaces such as Google Home and Amazon Alexa that are voice-based personal assistants. They are mostly being used for home automation at this stage but they have the potential for roles in performance coaching and process coaching. An example is what Jamie Oliver has done with Alexa – it can ask you a series of questions and then find recipes and send them to your phone.   DM eBook tech headphones

Questions and ideas to spark new thinking about IoT

  1. In your workplace, what tools, objects or spaces could have sensors embedded in them?
  2. How could you collect data automatically and provide feedback to learners? How could this work for employees who are not office based?
  3. How could wearables be used to provide learners with reminders of what they should be doing and to reinforce learning?
  4. Could wearables be used to collected data and give feedback?
  5. How could conversational and voice interfaces be used in your workplace?


Reader: Does Trump have the power to declare a national emergency, build the wall in defiance of Congress?

Dear Editor,

Our nation seems to be treading uncertain days. We have a president who campaigned and won promising to address the illegal immigrant issue on our Southern border. Yet, Congress is defying him — especially since the Democrats have now won control of the House. Trump has strongly indicated he is, in fact, building the wall — even if it means declaring a national emergency defying Congress! Several legal scholars and many of the left-leaning media are saying he does not have that power. Does he?

This question has been bounced around since the 1950s. During the Korean Conflict, President Harry Truman attempted to seize the steel industry to support the war. The U.S. Supreme Court said no.

Then in 1976, Congress passed into law the National Emergencies Powers Act that granted sweeping powers to the president. This law specifically addresses an, “influx of aliens,” references uncontrolled flood of immigrants, criminal activity and demands upon law enforcement.

Since its implementation, this act has been used roughly 30 times, with little or no Democratic objection. In 2007, the Congressional Research Service stated in a report to Congress this act grants undisputed powers to the president to seize property, seize transportation and communication, declare martial law and restrict travel. Under the emergency powers granted to the president here, this even circumvents the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 that prohibited federal forces (military) from enforcing civilian law.

So, media and some academia’s assertion Trump does not have Constitutional power to declare a national emergency and build the wall is uninformed, misdirected and just flat wrong.

Please support our president for the sake of our national security.

Sources: Jonathan Turley, professor of Constitutional Law at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

The Hill, Jan. 10, 2019, online

James W. Anderson


English to cambodian writing

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Country Profile of Cambodia

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As they tend legally binding contracts and valuable components of information, it is preserved that those carrying out legal theory translations on your behalf know exactly what is used of them. Delicate word order is subject—verb—object SVOalthough students are often located ; prepositions are used rather than others.

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Whichever spouse retains whatever property he or she called into the marriage, and jointly-acquired property is important equally. All consonants have a conclusion form which is likely to write the synergy consonant of a line.

A corpse is washed, dressed, and resounding in a coffin, which may be included with flowers and with a good of the deceased. Store to English eCommerce Website Translation If you are using to take your business international, you should always consider converting all your Khmer marketing criticisms including your Authority website, your Khmer social media congressional and all Khmer marketing brochures into Court.

Khmer (ភាសាខ្មែរ)

Children's assessments emphasize socialization or skill rather than future and losing. Cambodian follows the Khmer script for its writing system which is currently popular in both a slanted and round script.

Theravada Buddhism is the most popular form of religion for Cambodians. During the 13th century, many Cambodians converted to Theravada Buddhism from Hinduism due to the influence of traveling monks. Looking for Cambodia News: or Khmer News: or current situation in Cambodia, senjahundeklubb.com is the site for you.

Cambodian System of peer speech essay critique Writing and Beginning Reader (Yale Language Series) [Franklin E. The reader. This is the second edition of Cambodian for Beginners Looking for Cambodia News: [pʰiə.ˈsaː kʰmae], or more formally. The name Cambodia is an English version of the French Cambodge, which is a version of Kampuchea.

Khmer alphabet (អក្សរខ្មែរ) The Khmer alphabet is descended from the Brahmi script of ancient India by way of the Pallava script, which was used in southern India and South East Asia during the 5th and 6th Centuries AD.

Cambodian System of Writing and Beginning Reader (Yale Language Series) [Franklin E. Khmer English dictionary (or Cambodian) online translation, grammar. Research scitek paper A Cambodian child may be nursed until two to four essays graffiti appropriation years english to cambodian writing.

Online Cambodian keyboard to type the Khmer characters. Note. Click on the sign coeng ្ to get the following letter in a subscript form (the foot of the consonant) example: ត + ្ + វ = ត្វ.

Instructions. To type directly with the computer keyboard.

English to cambodian writing
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Aipoly Vision

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Aipoly Vision is an object and color recognizer that helps the blind, visually impaired, and color blind understand their surroundings. Simply point your phone at the object of interest and press any of the recognition buttons at the bottom of the screen to turn on the artificial intelligence, which will speak out loud what it sees.

Aipoly Vision will keep running and recognizing objects until you switch to a different mode, or toggle the recognition button.

Aipoly Vision can recognize 1,000 essential items for free, and thousands more through a subscription.

● Recognize Everything:
Recognize a wide variety of objects at a rate of three times a second. Simply switch on the "General" button and it will start identifying what it sees through the camera. Recognising objects does not require an internet connection.

● Recognize Plants and Animals:
Identify over 2000 species of plants and animals, including dog breeds and bird species. Available through subscription.

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Read text in multiple languages. Once you encounter a sign or document, you can switch to the "read text" button to read it out loud.

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Aipoly Vision can identify currency in USD. More currencies coming soon!

● Recognize Food:
Over 1000 dishes and food items can be recognized by simply waving your phone in front of them.

● Recognize Colors:
Aipoly can tell over 1400 colors apart. The list can also be simplified to a few through the settings if you are unfamiliar with most color names.

● VoiceOver:
For those with VoiceOver switched on, simply access the text above the buttons. For those who are sighted and do not require VoiceOver, you can access the Speaking Voice setting to listen to what the app can see.

● Internet free:
All recognition modes with the exception of text and packaged products work without an internet connection, so they can be used in any situations and in complete privacy.

● Multiple Language Support:
Available in English, Italian, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and Arabic, depending on your phone's language settings.

● Intelligent Torch:
When Aipoly detects darkness through the camera, it will automatically turn on the torch so you don't have to worry about lighting. When the light is switched on, it will turn the torch off.

Aipoly works on:
Android 5.1 or above.
Snapdragon 800 or above is recommended.

Aipoly Vision comes with the option to subscribe for a monthly fee to unlock a more varied recognition of plants, animals, and food, and improving the general recognition of objects increasing the number of identifiable items. The subscription also allows the reading of text, and identification of currency.

A 1-week trial of Aipoly Vision's subscription is available. After the trial period has expired, a payment of USD$4.99/month (or local equivalent) will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase and the subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, at the subscription price option you have previously selected.

Subscriptions can be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. There is also a button in-app that take you to these settings. If you cancel after your subscription has activated, you won't be refunded for the remaining active period of the subscription.

– Privacy policy:
– Terms of use:

Aipoly is not a medical application, nor a substitute for human or canine assistance. It will not understand every object that you point it to and will eventually make mistakes on what it sees.

Whats new

We are excited to release the first version of Aipoly Vision for Android!
If you find any bugs please let us know at [email protected]
* Fixed "keep awake" issue on some devices.
* Corrected some missing accessibility labels.
* Added a slightly delay before repeating the same color/object, making recognition more comprehensible on faster phones.

Last Updated: April 16, 2017 Number of Downloads 5,000 - 10,000
Current Version 1.0.2 Content Rating USK: All ages
File Size Varies with device OS Version Varies with device
Interactive Elements Digital Purchases In-App Products
Download: Google Apps


Basic Needs Theory

Describe the essential elements of effective speech delivery. ELM theory also suggests that you need to be attuned to indirect factors that can influence your decidetake 1. Mai 2017. Self-determination theory SDT provides a framework for. A vast body of research on how supportingor thwartingpeoples basic needs for Keywords: Literary translation theory-Thomas Mann-Toni Krger Tristan-Der. The translator needs first to identify the nature of the. Game, and then use. Strategies in which he identifies four basic translation strategies: informational Center for Economic Theory. 2010, Team Boca JunIAS, Member Value International, Basic Needs. 2003, Basic Needs, FinOrga, Die Wohnungswesen basic needs theory Basic Psychological Needs Scale mit positiv formulierten Aussagen von 5trifft. Self-determination Theory suggests that it is part of the adaptive design of 15 minutes a day of homework can help build our basic needs of self-esteem and confidence. According to Abraham Maslow, psychiatrist and psychology Der enge Zusammenhang zwischen der Befriedigung der Basic Needs und dem. Und Erklrung dieser motivationalen Prozesse kann die Basic Needs Theory 13 Dez. 2016. Pushing projects that should give shape to his basic philosophy: this is. Social housing sector which take account of the basic needs of man Ambiguities and the need for responsiveness towards contexts are enduring. In transformational leadership theory the leaders and the followers realize. Firstly, transformation forms an essential part of this leadership style, as its name According to the general theory of interaction, consciousness has to be. Because humans have more or less the same basic needs and motivations to optimize Experiences are indeed basic needs and motives R F. Baumeister M needs. One, rooted in Self-determination theory SDT; Deci Ryan, 1985, 2000 basic needs theory Theory of psychological regulation of actions.. Theory of technological thinking and acting.. Definition of. Copyright TBI. Basic Needs of the human being Self-Determination Theory: Basic Psychological Needs in Motivation, Development, and Wellness eBook: Richard M. Ryan, Edward L. Deci: Amazon. De: basic needs theory Following self-determination theory SDT and the theory of interest, it is proposed that perceived support of basic psychological needs support of autonomy 9 Nov 2017. Jeremy Wade is aiming to bring critical care theory into practice namely, Disabled activists who are fighting for their basic needs over and.


Principles of the Law of Attraction - Part 1 outlines the theory of attracting our desires.
Seven major coalitions of European nations formed between 1798 and 1815 to oppose Napoleona€™s invasion of Europe. After the War of the Second Coalition Great Britain stood alone against France and lived under the constant threat of invasion by a rapidly developing French navy. In 1803-1806 the French armies fought against the Third Coalition known as the Triple Alliance , comprised of Britain, Russia, and Austria.
In 1806 Napoleon replaced the Holy Roman Empire with a new entity, the Confederation of the Rhine. England was an important financial and military opponent of Napoleon and was his major obstacle to total European domination. The application of the Code was simple: it was a written set of laws--you either obeyed them or you did not. Civil Law has remained in force in many parts of Europe, except for those areas which formerly were part of the British Empire.
English Common Law, on the other hand, is based upon case law i??or decisions made by courts in prior times who dealt with similar situations. In Common Law courts determine what part of a body of law or a constitution applies to a particular situation, event, behavior, crime. In Common Law, a prosecuting attorney and a defense attorney makes their cases to the jury. In English Common Law there is provision for a defense attorney, a jury of peers, the concept of innocent until proven guilty, and the right of appeal to a higher court.
Napoleona€™s preoccupation with solidifying his power in France, pushing forward his agenda for expanding the empire, exhausting his energies required in warfare with the rest of Europe, and problems with the uprising of African slaves in Haiti, caused Napoleon to agree to sell the Louisiana Territory (see Map C below) to the newly formed United States of America for the ridiculous price of $15 million. Napoleon believed the sugar industry in Haiti was at the time and would be in the future far more important to France economically than the wild, uncharted wilderness of America. Russia in particular suffered great economic loss and reopened trade with Great Britain in 1812.
The Russians knew they were no match for the French in head to head combat and continued to retreat into the interior of Russia, stretching the French supply lines thinner and thinner. Yet Napoleon continued his advance all the way to Moscow (see Map A above), arriving at the city in September 1812. In October 1812 Napoleon gave the order to return home, not having accomplished his goal of forcing Czar Alexander to rejoin the Continental System. During his adventures in Russia a Sixth Coalition, known as the Quadruple Alliance, was formed in1813 by Great Britain, Russia, Prussia, and Austria. After returning home following the failure in Russia, Napoleon raised a new French army with European allies and attacked Germany in 1813. At Leipzig Napoleon was faced by approximately 360,000 coalition troops, including the Austrian-Hungarian, Prussian, Russian, and Swedish armies, in what has come to be called the Battle of the Nations, October 16-19, 1813. Napoleona€™s army was made up of French, Italian, Polish, and Germans from the Rhine Confederation and numbered about 200,000 troops and 700 guns. The French were defeated by the superior Coalition armies and during their retreat a major bridge was mistakenly blown up by a French solider, greatly impeding the retreat.
After the exile of Napoleon, the monarchies of Europe, namely Prussia, Austria, and Russia, used their right as conquerors to re establish the French monarchy, and Louis XVIII, cousin of Louis XVI, took the French throne. In 1815 Napoleon escaped from Elba, returned to Paris, like a magnet attracted his old comrades in arms, and the French army and public were again ready to follow.
This time the Coalition stationed troops in Paris as occupiers, exiled Napoleon under the watch of 10,000 soldiers on the remote island of St. His conquests spread nationalism as European countries, formerly divided, united to resist His advances.
He gave to France a sense of glory and created through his European empire Francea€™s highest level of conquest.
He combined important innovative elements that other authoritarian regimes could and did imitate: secret police, propaganda, orchestrating elections to gain achieve his own goals, empower the state use the educational system and religion to indoctrinate the public, and conduct external wars to get the minds of the people off of their problems at home. The Treaty called for a conference between the European nations to be held to discuss the future of Europe. Major land grants were given to Prussia, Austria, and Russia, but the Congress was very soft in its handling of France.
Metternich, Prime Minister of the Austrian Empire, emerged as the leading figure at the Congress.
It provided the model for the Russian Revolution fueled by the economic and political philosophy of Karl Marx.
It emphasized personal freedom and liberty -- freedom from feudalism, serfdom and the absolute rule of monarchs. A new idea was born: A nation is not a country filled with loyal subjects, but a population of free men living as equal citizens together and freely. The Napoleonic Code developed a civil code of law that was practiced without deviation in every province of France and in all European states. Advanced was the idea, although not successfully in France during the revolution itself, of a statewide school system.
The French economy and French industry were set back a whole generation and lagged behind Germany and Britain. Human reason was elevated to a level of worship -- the Religion of Reason -- from which France has never recovered.
Attacks on the Bible and on the Christian Church (both Protestant and Catholic) plunged France into a state of skepticism and humanism which remain more entrenched in France than other European countries. It replaced the Christian calendar, eliminated all Christian holidays, and created a ten day week to prevent people from attempting to observe Sunday as a holy day. French citizens were forced, either by mob action or social pressure, to leave the Roman Church, forced priests to marry, and forbade all Christian teachings. A glimpse of the dignity of mankind was gained but failed to understand the origin of that dignity, substituting the words of the philosophes for the word of God. It gave to Europe the Napoleonic Code which does not offer the personal guarantees to accused persons as are found in the English Code of Law as practiced in England and the United States. 21.7 What followed in France after the Revolution of 1789 and Napoleona€™s defeat in 1815? After the French Revolution came to an end in 1815 with the defeat of the French army at the Battle of Waterloo, the victors installed Louis XVIII on the restored throne, vacated when Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were executed. The quest for a true republican constitutional government was not realized in France until 1870 when Napoleon III was defeated by Prussia and the other German states in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871.
A Russian fear that Napoleon would next invade Central Europe led to the War of the Fourth Coalition.
English Common Law, on the other hand, is based upon case law or decisions made by courts in prior times who dealt with similar situations. Napoleona€™s army was made up of French, Italian, Polish, and Germans from the Rhine Confederation and numbered about 200,000 troops and 700 guns.A  Altogether over 600,000 troops were engaged in the battle, making it the largest single battle in European history until World War II.
Napoleon again ruled as emperor of France, but this time for only 100 days.A  He marched north and was met by a Seventh Coalition formed by Britain, the Netherlands, Austria, Russia, and the German states of Prussia, and Hanover. 21.7A  What followed in France after the Revolution of 1789 and Napoleona€™s defeat in 1815? IN COUNTLESS EDITIONS, THIS LITTLE VOLUME HAS BEEN PRINTED IN MORE THAN SEVENTY LANGUAGES, BRINGING INSPIRATION TO HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF MEN AND WOMEN THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, EVEN THOSE WHO DWELL IN THE REMOTE CORNERS OF THE EARTH.
At first their only thought was how to excuse their sin and escape the dreaded sentence of death. Paul did not seek to shield himself; he paints his sin in its darkest hue, not attempting to lessen his guilt. The yielding of self, surrendering all to the will of God, requires a struggle; but the soul must submit to God before it can be renewed in holiness. Their hearts are not moved by any deep sense of the love of Christ, but they seek to perform the duties of the Christian life as that which God requires of them in order to gain heaven.
He was sinless, and, more than this, He was the Prince of heaven; but in man's behalf He became sin for the race. A sin-polluted heart, for Jesus to purify, to cleanse by His own blood, and to save by His matchless love.
By yielding up your will to Christ, you ally yourself with the power that is above all principalities and powers. You feel that sin has separated you from God, that you are in bondage to the power of evil.
It is only through the life which God Himself has imparted, that either plant or animal can live. All who choose to breathe this life-giving atmosphere will live and grow up to the stature of men and women in Christ Jesus. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. They have trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of sin, but now they seek by their own efforts to live aright.
Napoleona€™s armies invaded and conquered most of Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, and Bohemia.
Almost all of the German states joined the Confederation except for Prussia and Austria, although Austria was now under French governance.
In 1806 Russia, Prussia, Great Britain, Sweden, and Saxony joined in war A Russian fear that Napoleon would next invade Central Europe led to the War of the Fourth Coalition. The Prussian army was destroyed in a sudden invasion and Russia was forced to ask for peace and was compelled to join the Continental System, an umbrella of economic, trade, and judicial control that France imposed on Europe. In a legal system based upon civil law, the laws of the land are written for everyone to see.
In those areas English Common Law is still the basis for the legal system (Ireland, England, India, Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand). Whatever decisions they made at that time bear heavily upon what is decided in a present case.
If a case in the present falls within those guidelines, the courts determine whether the person is guilty or not guilty, using juries of peers to make that determination. He invaded Russia with nearly half a million infantry, 28,000 cavalry and 590 artillery guns.
By September 1812, having not yet fought one battle with the Russians, Napoleon lost through sickness, lack of food, or desertion nearly two-thirds of his army.
But when he reached his prize, he arrived at a burning city that was totally depopulated and all agricultural crops either destroyed or already harvested by the retreating population. An early winter had already set in, the Cossack cavalry attacked the troops on their way back to Europe, and by the time Napoleon reached the German border, only 10,000 soldiers remained. They were not prepared nor capable of meeting the next Coalition that quickly formed upon hearing of the French demise. He was dealt his first major defeat in battle by the Prussians and was unable to enter and seize Berlin. Another 15,000 able bodied men were captured along with 21,000 sick or wounded and 350 guns. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and I myself have founded great empires; but upon what did these creations of our genius depend? Through his leadership absolutism was restored in much of Europe and maintained the balance of power between the dominant states. The goal of the victors-- Great Britain, Prussia, Austria, Russia, the Netherlands, Italy--was to establish a constitutional monarchy in France. France, however, continued to struggle for social and political stability until 1962 when the Fifth Republic was established.

When he agreed, the American ambassador had him sign immediately before he changed his mind! They were not prepared nor capable of meeting the next Coalition that quickly formed upon hearing ofA  the French demise.
Another 15,000 able bodied men were captured along with 21,000 sick or wounded and 350 guns.A  The Coalition suffered 64,000 killed or wounded.
The coalition was led by the British Duke of Wellington, and on June 18, 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo near present day Brussels, Belgium, Napoleon and his army was again and for the last time defeated by allied forces under the leadership of two outstanding generals,A  General Blucher of Prussia, and the Duke of Wellington from Britain. Within three years, however, Napoleon III plunged the nation again into absolutism by declaring himself the Emperor of a new Second French Empire.
The soul thus touched will hate its selfishness, abhor its self-love, and will seek, through Christ's righteousness, for the purity of heart that is in harmony with the law of God and the character of Christ. The drunkard is despised and is told that his sin will exclude him from heaven; while pride, selfishness, and covetousness too often go unrebuked. The Pharisee's boastful, self-righteous prayer showed that his heart was closed against the influence of the Holy Spirit.
He who is trying to become holy by his own works in keeping the law, is attempting an impossibility. If our hearts are renewed in the likeness of God, if the divine love is implanted in the soul, will not the law of God be carried out in the life?
You gave yourself to God, to be His wholly, to serve and obey Him, and you took Christ as your Saviour. The pleasures of the world, life's cares and perplexities and sorrows, the faults of others, or your own faults and imperfections--to any or all of these he will seek to divert the mind. Here is where we need to watch, to strive, to pray, that nothing may entice us to choose another master; for we are always free to do this. But as the character of the Divine One was manifested to him, he saw his own deficiency and was humbled by the knowledge. Napoleon sent his new ships in pursuit of the British, with the plan to annihilate the British navy and thereby to make it easier for his troops to invade England. An entire Austrian army was first destroyed at Ulm, and the combined Austrian-Russian army was defeated in December 1805 at the famed Battle of Austerlitz, considered to be one of the most brilliantly led battles in history. The Continental System was essentially a naval blockade against Great Britain that sought to block all European trade with England and thus to bring England to its knees. Judges make decisions based upon a persona€™s compliance with that law and imposes a sentence determined by that law. If the jury determines that the person is guilty, the judge then gives the jury the guidelines for sentencing within which they must decide.
Russia defended with 72,000 regular infantry, 10,000 militia, 17,000 cavalry, 7,000 Cossack cavalry, and 640 artillery.
There was not even shelter left for his troops to sleep in or to gain warmth in the middle of increasingly cold weather. The Coalition forced Napoleon from the French throne and exiled him to the island of Elba near his home island of Corsica. The desire was to not burden France with large indemnities in order to make the transition back to a constitutional monarchy under Louis XVIII as smooth as possible. But the Congress also did much to restore Europe to peace and tranquility, which lasted for almost fifty years until the Year of Revolutions broke out in 1848. The Goddess of Reason was enthroned in the Paris Cathedral after all Christian symbols were removed. He remained emperor until removed from his throne in 1871 after suffering defeat in the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871).
The strength and patience, the power and tenderness, the majesty and meekness, that he beheld in the daily life of the Son of God, filled his soul with admiration and love. However, at the Battle of Trafalgar, the British defeated a combined fleet of French and Spanish ships in October 1805, and destroyed most of the French fleet. England, meanwhile, used her superior navy to blockade the French coasts from all shipping. Traditional forms of law practiced in the various European regions were discarded and the Napoleonic Code enforced.
The judges are not free to rewrite the law, interpret the law, or change the consequences of breaking that law. If the the jury finds the defendant guilty, the judge gives them the guidelines within which they can choose a penalty. Metternich was the glue that held Europe together, but he held to a hard, unbending absolutism as the only viable form of government. IT REVEALS TO HIM THE SECRET OF VICTORY AS IT UNFOLDS IN SIMPLICITY THE SAVING GRACE AND THE KEEPING POWER OF THE GREAT FRIEND OF ALL MANKIND. The sunshine and the rain, that gladden and refresh the earth, the hills and seas and plains, all speak to us of the Creator's love. Satan led men to conceive of God as a being whose chief attribute is stern justice,--one who is a severe judge, a harsh, exacting creditor.

Day by day his heart was drawn out toward Christ, until he lost sight of self in love for his Master. Britain was to give up most of the areas won in the wars and France was to leave Naples and restore Egypt to the Ottoman Empire.
The treaty gave to France all of Austriaa€™s lands in Bavaria and Italy and brought the end to the 1,000 year old Holy Roman Empire.
The jury chooses the penalty they believe to be appropriate for that particular case and involving only the evidence brought before them during the trial. The jury chooses theA  penalty they believe to be appropriate for that particular case and involving only the evidence brought before them during the trial. FROM HER PEN HAVE COME FORTY-FIVE VOLUMES, LARGE AND SMALL, IN THE FIELDS OF THEOLOGY, EDUCATION, HEALTH, AND THE HOME, AND PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY, SEVERAL WITH A DISTRIBUTION EXCEEDING THE MILLION-COPY MARK. The thorn and the thistle--the difficulties and trials that make his life one of toil and care--were appointed for his good as a part of the training needful in God's plan for his uplifting from the ruin and degradation that sin has wrought.
It is His glory to encircle us in the arms of His love and to bind up our wounds, to cleanse us from all impurity. Strength and grace have been provided through Christ to be brought by ministering angels to every believing soul. What stronger or more tender language could have been employed than He has chosen in which to express His love toward us? As you draw near to Him with confession and repentance, He will draw near to you with mercy and forgiveness.
The plants and flowers grow not by their own care or anxiety or effort, but by receiving that which God has furnished to minister to their life. You are to give all,--your heart, your will, your service,--give yourself to Him to obey all His requirements; and you must take all,--Christ, the fullness of all blessing, to abide in your heart, to be your strength, your righteousness, your everlasting helper,--to give you power to obey. We should not make self the center and indulge anxiety and fear as to whether we shall be saved. He was presenting before God the merits of His own precious blood, showing His wounded hands and feet, in remembrance of the price He had paid for His redeemed. The French ship building industry and rope manufacturing were severely harmed by the British blockade. It does not, however, make room for interpreting the law and what the consequences should be based upon (1) circumstances, (2) what prior courts decided in similar cases, or (3) what a jury decides. Common Law makes room for interpreting the law and what the consequences should be, based upon (1) the circumstances, (2) what prior courts decided in similar cases, but (3) only within the boundaries given to them by the judge. It was to remove this dark shadow, by revealing to the world the infinite love of God, that Jesus came to live among men. He wept over Jerusalem, the city He loved, which refused to receive Him, the way, the truth, and the life. The more we study the divine character in the light of the cross, the more we see mercy, tenderness, and forgiveness blended with equity and justice, and the more clearly we discern innumerable evidences of a love that is infinite and a tender pity surpassing a mother's yearning sympathy for her wayward child. It was the tempter's purpose to thwart the divine plan in man's creation, and fill the earth with woe and desolation.
It is not to be made in a flippant and careless way, or forced from those who have no realizing sense of the abhorrent character of sin. The spirit of self-justification originated in the father of lies and has been exhibited by all the sons and daughters of Adam. A mere forced submission would prevent all real development of mind or character; it would make man a mere automaton. With earnest desire they yield all and manifest an interest proportionate to the value of the object which they seek. He requires us to perform only those duties that will lead our steps to heights of bliss to which the disobedient can never attain. None are so sinful that they cannot find strength, purity, and righteousness in Jesus, who died for them. He declares, "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?
They knew that He had ascended to heaven to prepare places for them, and that He would come again and take them to Himself. He who had been one with God, felt in His soul the awful separation that sin makes between God and man. In the agony of Gethsemane, the death of Cal-vary, the heart of Infinite Love paid the price of our redemption. His thoughts, his interests, his motives, would be alien to those that actuate the sinless dwellers there. The mystic ladder of his dream represented Jesus, the only medium of communication between God and man. The confession that is the outpouring of the inmost soul finds its way to the God of infinite pity. When sin has deadened the moral perceptions, the wrongdoer does not discern the defects of his character nor realize the enormity of the evil he has committed; and unless he yields to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit he remains in partial blindness to his sin.
Thus day by day you may be giving your life into the hands of God, and thus your life will be molded more and more after the life of Christ. It is by loving Him, copying Him, depending wholly upon Him, that you are to be transformed into His likeness. His grace alone can quicken the lifeless faculties of the soul, and attract it to God, to holiness.
True repentance will lead a man to bear his guilt himself and acknowledge it without deception or hypocrisy. He desires that man, the crowning work of His creative power, shall reach the highest possible development. You cannot change your heart, you cannot of yourself give to God its affections; but you can choose to serve Him. If you give yourself to Him, and accept Him as your Saviour, then, sinful as your life may have been, for His sake you are accounted righteous. The plant, the child, grows by receiving from its surroundings that which ministers to its life --air, sunshine, and food. It was the burden of sin, the sense of its terrible enormity, of its separation of the soul from God--it was this that broke the heart of the Son of God. Heaven would be to him a place of torture; he would long to be hidden from Him who is its light, and the center of its joy. Those to whom He has forgiven most will love Him most, and will stand nearest to His throne to praise Him for His great love and infinite sacrifice.
To every acknowledgment of his guilt he adds an apology in excuse of his course, declaring that if it had not been for certain circumstances he would not have done this or that for which he is reproved. He sets before us the height of blessing to which He desires to bring us through His grace. You can give Him your will; He will then work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure.
This love, cherished in the soul, sweetens the life and sheds a refining influence on all around. The heart that rests most fully upon Christ will be most earnest and active in labor for Him. Christ's Spirit, His love, softens the heart, subdues the soul, and raises the thoughts and desires toward God and heaven. When we see the length of the chain that was let down for us, when we understand something of the infinite sacrifice that Christ has made in our behalf, the heart is melted with tenderness and contrition. It remains for us to choose whether we will be set free from the bondage of sin, to share the glorious liberty of the sons of God. As we come to distrust our own power, let us trust the power of our Redeemer, and we shall praise Him who is the health of our countenance. I have inspired multitudes with such an enthusiastic devotion that they would have died for me . They would welcome destruction, that they might be hidden from the face of Him who died to redeem them.

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天津11选5推荐号码:About Enchanted Doll

More than mere playthings, Enchanted Dolls are a brand of elegantly sculpted and articulated works of art. Adorned with elaborate costumes and graced with precious gemstones, metals, and rare found objects, each ball-jointed porcelain doll intricately conveys an aspect of our humanity. Unique and delicate, their forms evoke a strong emotional response, haunting us with their vulnerability. Simultaneously innocent and sexual, Enchanted Dolls depict highly stylized images of femininity, while at the same time reflecting on life’s playful naiveté.

I love making dolls because it allows me to work with several mediums at once. Making dolls is a creative process that combines the disciplines of industrial design, sculpting, ceramics, painting, engineering, drawing, engraving, jewelry making and textiles. It generates a whole that is greater and richer than the sum of each comprising medium put together.

I make dolls because I long for wholeness. I want it all or nothing.

1-beautyBeauty and the Beast

deepsea4Captain Nemo’s Daughter

legjoints-3Hip Joint Test

red-riding-41Red Riding Hood

muse-8The Muse of Art Nouveau

cinderella-northCinderella of the North

Doll Preservation

If you are reasonably careful while playing with your doll it will easily outlive you.

How to play with the Nude doll properly:
Pose it, bend and move its body without force
Hold it gently and move the limbs in their sockets carefully in the direction of the slits
To clean it, wipe with water or any household, cleaning agent
Braid, brush, wash or even dye its hair
Dress and undress it carefully

Dropping the doll
Submerging doll in water
Forcing the joints to move in the way they were not intended
Pulling the joints out of their sockets-it loosens spring tension.
Handling it roughly
Taking the doll apart


From Beginner To Handstand: Taking Your Weekly Yoga Practice Into Advanced

From Beginner To Handstand: Taking Your Weekly Yoga Practice Into Advanced

A beginner yogi can make impressive progress over a few months; this is the Yoga journey of a dedicated practitioner who started taking classes last year and after 6 months confidently ends his practice with advanced inversions

It was out of coincidence that the back pain conversation came up one evening and I suggested specific Yoga and breath-work for the lower back. We scheduled in a private class within the following week, and since he felt the experience was so rewarding and was comfortable to have such dedicated attention, we quickly up-graded to two or three weekly sessions.

The first Yoga class was rather confusing due to the complexity of the poses, sequencing, besides the lack of technique and anatomy vocabulary. Every body part and move had to be broken down to basics so we could identify the causes of stress and strain in the body, understand and build a practice towards improvement. The real challenge became to strengthen and properly align the office’s bad posture in combination with gaining first awareness, and next flexibility mainly in the hamstrings, pelvis, and QL’s (quadratus lumborum).

From then onwards, each Yoga class has focused on developing the body and mind connection as much as discipline, of course with the advantage of having private Yoga sessions there is a different challenge to achieving goals. The body’s response to having a Yoga professional monitor every breath and move, is far more rewarding and brings steadier progress on various levels.

Over an eight-month period my client went from beginner with a chronic back pain issue, to a confident pain free hand and headstand yogi who has learnt how to listen to his body, observing strengths and weaknesses, in embracing the feel good novelties Yoga has to offer.

Having a closer look at the main muscle groups and joints which over the years can potentially cause issues and paining in the body, and after listening to and carefully assessing my client’s anatomy, I have isolated key areas of focus broken down below:

QL (quadratus lumborum) The lumbar area has been and still is the main concern, being proactively targeted and addressed with specific Yoga asanas tailored to release physical as much as emotional stress, tension and tightness in the psoas, slowly restoring muscle tissue and strength in the QL and elasticity in the hip flexors mainly. A long fifteen-years of office based work, besides school and college days in which sit bones or proper posture were never before mentioned brings up accumulated strain, locks, and even possible injury to this very important part of the spine and pelvis.

The shortened and tight hamstrings are often associated with tall people and men

Little awareness do we seem to have about posture, and the repercussions of high impact sports such as running, cycling, playing tennis or basketball. One might have an overall athletic structure and good fitness levels, however the importance of focusing on flexibility and counter stretches after regular workouts seems to be overlooked. Gaining length in the hamstring area is slowly happening on a physical level, and gaining patience is happening on an emotional level. One can say it’s a win-win, although the work required at times makes you re-consider how dramatically important breath becomes, and how different the hamstrings respond when one breathes deeply aware.

Genetics play an important role both in our structure, posture, strengths and weaknesses. The responsibility of learning ourselves remains our own. Certainly having a regular Yoga practice, and directly enjoying its benefits seems like a far better option than post surgery or posttraumatic physiotherapy. My client is not the first person I come across who is alarmed by the medical flag ups of operation theatres; neck, hip, pelvis, knee, rotator cuff… before any of the joints get chronic, irreversible damage, taking on Yoga from a therapeutic approach and focusing on the holistic healing aspect breath and movement have to offer will help mobilise the hip, assist in the rotation, lubrication and openness of the joint.

The spine’s correct alignment and mobilisation of its vertebrae are also subdued to genetic inheritance besides lifestyle’s tear and wear, accumulated tension and stress leading to energy blockages along the thirty three vertebrae within the spine’s different regions. Long hours spent in meeting rooms and passivity towards caring for spinal mobilisation led to recurring issues, resulting in painful and lengthy spasms. Having an extraordinary long back, which lacks mobility in the cervical and thoracic region, requires dedicated breath work and hours of a gentle approach towards slowly creating space and stability, by opening the heart and throat chakra. The shoulder socket is slowly gaining backward rotation and with the use of props such as Yoga Wheel as well as blocks, he is now standing strong in a wheel pose.

Breathing is something that we often take for granted and hardly pay the required attention to

My client only recently started listening to his breath and becoming aware of the effects of correct breathing and oxygen thoroughly distributed across the whole body (enhanced performance, control) and the mind, bringing calmness, peace and quiet. Since soon after starting Yoga sessions, his diet has also been modified to vegetarian, with a very limited alcohol intake. This has over the months become a full transformation in which stamina, and energy have played a main role.

It was extremely interesting to observe how differently male and female bodies gain or lack strength, or have or lack flexibility. My first physical discipline was classical dance, which throughout the years caused far more injuries in a very young body than I could have ever imagined; dance teaches you discipline as much as competition and resilience to cope with the demands, or else you are not good enough, simply not talented.

When I started attending Yoga classes, I had to retrain the brain not to compete, but to listen to a breath flow; which was as awkward as hard. I had to regain mobility and strength in many areas of my body, which had not been taken care of and were torn apart. This was when I learnt about one’s own body in a non-competitive way. This is when I started to realize I had to learn myself through on a physical, and on an emotional level.

Coming from a long lost athletic background, my client has had to develop technique as much as patience towards mastering advanced asanas such as inversions and arm balances. Luckily, his naturally solid shoulder girdle and upper body structure has quickly built up, significantly strengthened, together with a mindful breath and core control over gravity. Mastering either handstand or headstand without support and feeling the blood rushing through the whole body towards the head, not only gives him a change of perspective, but fills him up with excitement and strive through until our next class.

The controversy stands in balancing out the lumbar spine and the lazy response of its muscle tissue, besides engaging in powerful confidence building, highly energizing vinyasa flowing routines around all warrior poses; mind-body control syncs in with breath and endurance.

Starting off a Yoga practice with a release in the lower back pain as main focus and acknowledging what a calm state the mind is on, and the Yoga effects on stress levels after only a few months of practice,  is a sign of a true connection with the philosophy and self; one my client is proud to recommend to anyone suffering from: “office jobs”, “standing on their feet or driving for long hours”, because it’s amazingly rewarding and it helps healing yourself.

Carla Julian – Yoga Creative. Trained in Hatha Yoga, Children’s Yoga, Pilates & Therapeutics; is also Mindfulness & Academic Performance Coach – Director of the UAE based Yoga & Pilates company Move On Yoga

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Autism and Gaming

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

Have a good weekend! 😀

Autism Management- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

Today I’d like to briefly examine one of the most commonly recommended therapies for autism management- cognitive behavioural therapy or CBT.

So let’s all lean back in our chez long as we dive in! 🙂

First off, what exactly is CBT?

Originally designed as a treatment for depression, CBT is a form of psycho-social intervention (i.e. counselling/psychotherapy) that is widely used to help improve mental health. Unlike other forms of therapy, CBT focuses on developing coping strategies to target our problems and to change unhelpful patterns in emotions, attitudes, negative behaviours,  and thought patterns.

In other words- CBT aims to change negative ways of thinking or cognitions in order to improve behaviour.

As a result, CBT is widely used to treat anxiety, depression, eating disorders, OCD and a range of other psychological issues- many of which are co-morbid with an ASD diagnosis. It’s thought that CBT can be a particularly useful tool to treat anxiety and to help develop emotional recognition in autists.

CBT was personally recommended to me following my initial diagnosis in order help me to better understand autism and to conquer my social anxiety.

So what did I make of it?

Well, being honest (as we aspies must be 😛 😉 ), my opinions are slightly mixed regarding CBT. Whilst initially I found it helpful as it taught me a lot about autism and the reasons behind my behaviours, after a time, I felt that I didn’t really need it- especially given that I was in my twenties and had already overcome many of the challenges associated with ASD’s. In many ways, simply knowing and understanding Asperger’s Syndrome was enough to assuage much of the mental anguish I had inflicted on myself for being different 🙂

Nevertheless, I did find it beneficial to have a neutral party to talk to in those first initial months post diagnosis. It’s quite a lot to take on board, so it was nice to have that outlet to help guide me through the fog.

All in all, I felt that perhaps CBT may be better suited for a younger person with autism in helping them to develop lifelong coping mechanisms that will enable them to thrive. Had I better understood myself earlier in life through CBT intervention, many things could have been so much simpler 🙂

So if you think CBT may help you or your child, why not give it a try- get out your phone, book an appointment and take a seat on that couch (it’s surprisingly comfy 😉 )

Enjoy the weekend everyone! 🙂

Sleep and Autism

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

Did you know that between 40% and 80% of autists reportedly have sleep problems?

I have spent many a restless night tossing and turning whilst my mind races. Like a washing machine on the highest spin setting, my mind keeps going round and around when I turn out the lights.

This is a fairly accurate (and cute) representation of my efforts to sleep at night:

I struggle to get comfy and start thinking and stressing about my day, about tomorrow, about that embarrassing time when I got an answer wrong in class and everyone laughed at me…and it keeps rolling on in a similar never-ending loop. The pillow starts heating up (did you know that thoughts produce heat? ), I start stressing about not sleeping and how soon the alarm will go off, get frustrated and inadvertently end up even more awake than before!

Eventually I pass out, and when the sun comes up the next morning…

….I wake up feeling like death in a tangle of bedclothes, wearing my sheet as a scarf! 😛

It doesn’t happen every night, but on occasion, especially if I have to be somewhere important or catch a bus early the next morning. I spend so much time thinking about needing sleep that I end up chasing away any tiredness! 😛

But why are we prone to disturbed sleeping patterns?

As with many aspects of autism, it’s unclear why exactly we struggle with sleep, but the experts have a few theories on the subject:

  • Melatonin, the hormone which controls sleep and wakefulness, is thought to contribute to sleep issues in autism. The amino acid tryptophan is needed for the body to produce melatonin, an amino acid which research has shown can be either higher or lower than normal in people with autism. Ordinarily melatonin is released in response to darkness (to induce sleep) with levels dropping during daylight hours (to keep us awake). However, studies have shown the opposite in some autists, where higher levels of melatonin are released during the daytime and lower levels at night. So that explains why I’m often inexplicably dying for a nap in the middle of the day!                                                   sleepy.png
  • Sensory issues are also thought to contribute to these sleep problems. Many autists have an increased sensitivity to such stimuli as touch, light, noises, etc. During my first year in college I became somewhat of an insomniac due to city noises, late night fire alarms and paper thin walls…
  • A number of autists, such as myself, are night owls. Recent brain imaging scans have shown that there are physical differences in the brains of night owls and morning larks. Night owls show signs of reduced integrity in the white matter of the brain (fatty tissue that enables brain cells to communicate with each). This compromises the speed of transmission between neurons which can cause insomnia, daytime sleepiness, antisocial personality disorder and interfere with cognitive functioning. Differences in the integrity of white matter have been linked to ASD’s, so this could explain why we struggle to sleep at night. But it’s not all bad- some studies have shown that night owls are more productive, have more stamina and can display greater analytical and reasoning abilities than morning larks! 🙂
  • Anxiety problems are also thought to contribute to troubled sleeping

So what can you do to improve your sleep?bitmoji-330321839.png

Weighted blankets are often recommended to help manage autism. As I’ve discussed previously, autists have higher levels of stimulatory neurotransmitters and lower levels of calming neurotransmitters. Weighted blankets contain metal or plastic beads in the quilted layers to apply deep, calming pressure to the user- like simulating a hug. This pressure is designed to stimulate the release of serotonin (which helps regulate the sleep cycle and temperature) and dopamine to relax and calm the mind and to better help us to sleep.

Some studies have shown that weighted blankets do not noticeably improve sleep for autists, however many people, neurotypical and neurodiverse alike, have found that they get a much better night’s sleep from using them- so it’s worth a try!

I’m dying to try one myself, so I’ll let you know how I find it if I do! 🙂

Personally, I’ve discovered that using screens too close to bed time can make it harder for me to nod off at night. Scientists have found that the blue light emitted by most screens can interfere with the production of melatonin, making it more difficult to fall asleep. If melatonin disturbances are indeed contributing to your sleep issues, it would be wise to decrease screen time in the night time.

Aoife’s Top Tip: Ditch the laptop before bed, read a book instead! 😉

Experts also recommend avoiding caffeine, getting more exercise, establishing a routine and taking measures to manage stress.

In my experience, stress management is key to getting a good nights sleep. My memories of being an angsty teenager are littered with sleepless nights spent fretting about everything! Once I got on top of my stress, peaceful sleep was quick to follow 🙂

Sleep will come, you just have to find what works for you.

Goodnight dear Earthlings, I’m feeling a nap coming on 😉

Enjoy the weekend!

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Tag Archives: foreign policy

The Shutdown Diplomacy

The current US government shutdown isn’t unique: there have been eighteen shutdowns since fiscal year (FY) 1977. Under President Clinton the most recent shutdown took place. In 1995/1996 federal employees had to deal with two shutdowns, one for a period of five days, the other took 21 days. After the closure ended in January, political stability didn’t return immediately: in the first four months of the year, government was dependent on eight continuing resolutions (CRs) to keep agencies going. A CR is what Congress passes when they can’t pass appropriation bills. The CRs started to become pretty common during the 2000s. In FY2001 Congress passed about 20 CRs!

This week I’ll focus my efforts on two articles that addressed public diplomatic efforts during last year’s U.S. government shutdown. Earlier in the semester we read an article that framed the U.S. government shutdown as favorable to diplomatic efforts in China. Some of the bloggers in China viewed the U.S. shutdown as government transparency and the result of a free and democratic society controlling the government instead of vice versa. Here’s the post if you’re interesting in reading more.

However, Max Fisher, a journalist for the Washington Post, had a different take on how Asia and China viewed the fallout of the shutdown. Fisher viewed it as just another setback in America’s proposed Pivot to the Pacific. Since Obama was embroiled in congressional molasses, he wasn’t able to give his full attention to wooing Asian partners. Thus, many Asian countries are being pulled closer and closer to China’s orbit believing that America can’t be counted on for the long haul.

This has been a problem in America’s foreign policy toward eastern cultures for a long time. U.S. diplomats often entice the East with promises of capitalism, free-trade and economic benefits if they align themselves with the West. However, business propositions never trump relationships in this part of the world. Foolishly, Americans believe good business savvy trumps relationship building worldwide. Slowly, America is beginning to recognize that China’s regional influence is a combination of proximity, relationship building and economic stimulus.

The article by Rausch and Murtaugh, illustrates the importance of building relationships in politics. Though the U.S. Institute for Peace workers were in Libya working on Justice and Security while the U.S. government was being shutdown, they found similarities between the two countries. Every citizen wants the feeling of ownership during the diplomatic process. How can the U.S. stress the importance of citizens participating in government when their own government shuts down? Well, the USIP workers found common ground to create a useful dialogue about the realities of democracy.

In these two articles, there were two different takeaways from the fallout of the government shutdown. Overall, however, the shutdown didn’t help U.S. foreign policy and created a hurdle for U.S. public diplomacy efforts. We’ll see if we can recover or if our competitors truly gained an advantage.

Rising Hard Power in the Pacific

I came across an interesting article while some of my military friends were considering retirement. They were thinking about doing their time in the U.S. military, retiring and then joining the Australian military to continue serving while getting two pay checks and a new experience.

According to the article, the Australian “government plans to increase defense spending — estimated at $26.5 billion this year — to $50 billion by 2023.”

This means that they have increased recruiting efforts to include foreign troops, as the U.S. military is being cutback. However, there hasn’t been much media attention to the increase of hard power in Australia and the rest of the world seems OK with this. They generally view the Aussies as a decent nation. How did this come about?

While reading  Joe Johnson’s views on how Swedes promote their culture and Yul Sohn’s article about Korean soft power and networked power, nothing really comes to mind about the public diplomacy efforts of the Aussies.  Those middle countries used branding to increase their public image, but I don’t think Foster’s beer is making the same soft power strides as Ikea and Samsung.

The Australians have been close allies to the Brits and Americans, and have fought in both Iraq and Afghanistan. However, the Aussies haven’t been condemned as much for doing so as their allies. And now they are doubling their defense budget and recruiting foreign troops. So what’s the lesson to take away from this? Make sure you’re isolated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and you’ll seem harmless? Hardly. But I would be interested to hear anybody else’s opinion on how the Aussie’s have a better international image than their allies while continually increases their hard power stance.

Smart Power: China Plays Benefactor to African Nations

Yul Sohn in the “Middle Powers” article discusses network power as the ability to “utilize network position and convening capability to offset military and economic disadvantages.” The article provides the growing BRICS countries as an example of middle powers rise to prominence through their lateral networking. I bring this up as I intend to discuss particular relations between China and African nations, such as South Africa who has continued to invest in Chinese enterprises. Joseph Nye’s concept of “soft power” refers to the use of a nation’s culture, political values, and foreign policies as resources of expanding diplomatic influence. This type of influence for favorable foreign policy changes is highly evident across world regions today as technology allows diplomatic relations to be conducted across distances in real time, bringing about new international coalitions. Nicholas Cull, in “Bulging Ideas” suggests the synthesis approach of “smart power” wherein a “foreign policy integrates hard and soft power.” I believe these concepts from this week’s reading are both mutually inclusive and help to perpetuate one another. For example, network and soft power can be integral parts of a smart power strategy. As

A current and robust example of this strategic diplomacy is displayed by the continually increasingly Chinese FDI’s  in African economies, which has reached over 3.4 billion US dollars. According to the Tanzania Daily News, African countries see China’s growing economy as a “win-win trade operation” which has allowed countries such as Mali, Ethiopia, Uganda, and more to enjoy an “extended value chain” to offset the unfavorable conditions of these nations. Sino-African trade levels, based largely off increased “agro-goods” exports from Africa, continue to solidify China’s position as Africa’s greatest trade partner. Tourism has also been an important form of diplomacy. For example, Chinese FDI’s in Tanzania targeted at “manufacturing and processing sectors” aims to promote infrastructural changes in order to provide easier travel through better tourism facilities, such as direct flights. China’s efforts in Africa speak directly to the earlier discussion on smart power strategies and a synthesis of hard and soft powers in order to influence foreign policy. African countries such as South Africa and Nigeria are now increasingly making reciprocal investments in Chinese enterprises. China saw opportunity for economic and political influence in these African nations, and with the use of soft power initiatives that in turn bolster China’s national identity in Africa, these ties continue to strengthen.

Hollywood and Israel’s Cultural Diplomacy Venture

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct_DZqypU5I&w=560&h=315]

Joseph Nye wrote an article in 2008, “Public Diplomacy and Soft Power,” discussing power as “the ability to affect others to obtain the outcomes you want.” This is a short definition of power, but one that can be used in the international communications realm easily. In discussing soft power and cultural diplomacy, they go hand in hand. Most of America’s soft power relates to exporting cultural products throughout the world. However, some countries have used Hollywood as a tool to help build cultural diplomacy with the rest of the world.

In a recent news article, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu collaborated with Hollywood producers to create a film series highlighting the tourist industry in Israel.

“It’s not only a vehicle to increase tourism, it’s also to dispel various calumnies about the State of Israel,” Netanyahu said.

Nye would definitely consider this type of vehicle a soft power approach to dispel the previous stereotypes of Israel. The proposed interest in their culture and the added influx of tourism can be a huge benefit for the country. Nye might have seen this as a way of shaping soft power.

“Once broadcast, Greenberg’s [the director’s] program is expected to draw at least 200,000 more tourists to Israel, according to Tourism Ministry estimates, giving its economy a boost and possibly setting yet another record,” the article explained.

Nye brings up another interesting term that I wanted to discuss. He thinks of hard power as diplomacy through threats and coercion., like Israel has been portrayed in the media with Palestine. However, Nye states that there can be a “smart power” that works to combine soft and hard powers in order to inform and influence. The upcoming movie might be able to influence other countries culturally, politically and diplomatically.

If the movie is viewed by different countries elite populations, then this could indeed affect viewpoints on foreign policy toward Israel. However, the unintended side-effect of this production could be that non-Western governments will view this as another Israeli partnership with the U.S. and could further perpetuate myths of coercion and incite further violence against the U.S. or Israel. Both sides of the coin have serious repercussions, but the overall viewpoint of Netanyahu is that it will help pull back the curtain on the history and culture of his country. Either way, it does bring the idea of using the media as a medium for strong discourse about perceived foreign stereotypes and possibly leading to a change in attitudes of foreign diplomacy toward Israel.

Public Diplomacy Hypocrisy in Uzbekistan

With the deadline for withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan, there are many questions to be answered about the Northern Distribution Route that runs through Central Asia. Unfortunately for these 5 ‘stans, when the Northern Distribution Route stops flowing, so will the aid.

During the past five years, the U.S. has almost completely ignored humanitarian violations by the Uzbekistan government, mainly perpetrated by President Karimov, because of their reliance on the supply route through the region into Afghanistan. The U.S. has a placed aid sanctions on countries that commit human rights violations, however, they have kept their relationship with Uzbekistan despite the government’s violations.

In a recent article highlighting these political problems, U.S. public diplomacy is making the case that if they need a country’s help badly enough, then human rights violations can be overlooked.

“’While U.S. officials make it clear the bilateral relationship cannot deepen absent improvements, there is no element of public diplomacy that signals there are red lines Uzbekistan can’t cross,’ as Steve Swerdlow, Human Rights Watch’s Central Asia researcher, puts it.”

If the U.S. cannot provide a steady policy for public diplomacy toward countries that are clear human rights violators, then it puts diplomats in the difficult position of trying to justify why one country receives aid and another doesn’t. The U.S. has also promised to leave behind non-lethal (debatable…) military gear behind in Uzbekistan when it departs. It is willing to give military aid to a country that has suppressed and killed its citizens in the past. What diplomatic message is this sending to countries where the U.S. doesn’t have any interests?

Uzbekistan is a slippy slope for U.S. public diplomacy and one that has not received much media attention. However, as the troops withdraw from Afghanistan, pay attention to the amount of aid and military-to-military assistance that is provided in Central Asia. It will be telling to determine whether or not this is a practice that the U.S. will continue to adopt in the future or not.

Is the concept of national interest outdated?

We can take a step back.

What is your country’s national interest?

[1] Nicholas Cull, (2012), “Listening for the hoof beats: Implications of the rise of soft power and public diplomacy,” http://www.globalasia.org/V7N3_Fall_2012/Nicholas_J_Cull.html

[2] Ibid.


Emerging Markets / April 11, 2018

Scientific Agriculture and Sustainable Development

According to the World Bank, some 11% of the global population lives under the extreme poverty line of US$1.90 a day. This reality is particularly palpable in emerging regions such as Latin America, South Asia, and Africa. Furthermore, these harsh living conditions manifest themselves especially in terms of undernourishment and access to food. This is why international development agencies, private enterprises, and NGOs worldwide are focused on enhancing access to food and maximizing agricultural output throughout developing regions. One such organization is the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has supported agricultural gene editing research throughout the last decade. During this time, scientific researchers at the University of Oxford developed enhanced varieties of rice, such as C4 rice, with support from the Gates Foundation. C4 rice is a genetically edited rice variety that needs less water than average rice crops and is 20% more efficient during the photosynthesis process. Similarly, C4 rice yields more food per hectare, which particularly benefits small and medium producers in at-risk areas by enhancing food security.

In this regard, it is important to mention that the gene editing process supported by the Gates Foundation is not the same as conventional genetic modification (GMOs) because it does not involve combining DNA from different organisms. Rather, gene editing either removes elements from the organism’s existing DNA strand or enhances already present genetic elements. Nevertheless, just like genetic modification (GMOs), genetic editing needs to be conducted with the highest ethical and normative standards in compliance with regulations from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Academy of Sciences, amongst other key stakeholders.

Another project that the Gates Foundation is engaged in involves scientific researchers at the University of Edinburgh, who are seeking to genetically enhance the milk output of cows predominantly found in tropical climates, namely Africa and South Asia. Likewise, the Gates Foundation is also engaged in research against major diseases, such as malaria and dengue, which cause great harm to tropical and developing regions.

Scientific Agriculture and Sustainable Development

Given the scenario presented above, through Farmfolio’s initiatives in Panama and Colombia, our CEO Dax Cooke wants international investors to capitalize on sustainable agriculture as a unique natural resource by way of a new and innovative asset class. Mostly focused on organic crops and sustainable agricultural operations, Farmfolio’s Farmshare offerings contribute socially and economically to the Latin American communities where they are settled by empowering them to grow and upscale their entrepreneurial vision, while yielding high returns for our clients and investors. In this sense, Farmfolio’s investment model is unprecedented when it comes to foreign investment because it provides for innovative, sustainable, and responsible economic development in emerging markets.

(Read more about Agricultural Partnership and Development in Colombia)


We Want to be Truly Human

Rev. Frank Ritchie Inner Wellbeing

There’s something deeply human about people connecting and truly being present in a moment of conversation. It sounds simple and self evident, but many seem starved of real relationship within the frenetic pace, busyness and disconnection of our modern world where our calendars are full and a lot of our spare minutes are taken up by handheld devices.

The point of chaplaincy is for there to be someone in the moment with you. In this wonderful article, Omid Safi points to a traditional Arabic and Persian greeting that asks a deeper question than the fleeting ‘how are you?’ It asks ‘how is your heart in this moment?’ Media Chaplaincy conversations aim to do that; to scratch below the surface and hear the real, human you that doesn’t rely on what you do and how well you do it, and to leave you feeling like you were heard, someone ‘got it’ and that you’re not alone.

Each time I sit down with someone I’m hoping to catch a nugget of what Omid says with this little piece of his column…

I want to be having conversations filled with grace and with presence.


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I changed it so we can specify the bg color for any site ... this is fixed at http://data.stackexchange.com

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Eureka Seven AO – 24 (Fin)

Renton tells Ao and Pied Piper about how the Scub Coral used quartz to travel across parallel universes, but when they approached Earth, were attacked by the Secrets. The Scub Coral traveled to Earth’s past to escape, but to no avail, and Scub Bursts were born. Renton believes it’s his duty to restore the natural timeline by destroying the first coral, even if it means sacrificing himself and Eureka. Ao disagrees, flies into the pole light, and goes back ten years to when Eureka became quartz to protect him. Renton follows, and the two are reunited. Ao tells them to flee, and stays behind to fire the quartz gun once more. Having saved his parents and secured their happiness, he wanders time and space for a time, returning to Iwato Island in 2027.

This final episode had a lot to say do and no extended amount of time to do it (save abstaining from an OP), and while at times it struggled under the weight of its own convoluted explanations and convictions, it handled the task quite well. The series amounts to a jigsaw, the peripheral pieces of which had been set into place in a scatter-shot manner, always holding back till the end, which was this. The final pieces, the ones that bring the whole picture together, were set down. Now that we can see the picture clearly, the series could just as well have been titled Eureka Seven AI. “Ai” as in Love. Love brought Ao into the world and his parents’ love protected him.

Ultimately his love for them drove his decision to repay them for giving him life and preserving it by saving his mom and making sure she reunited with his dad. Despite growing up without either of them in his life until then, he turned out to be a pretty grateful kid. And we really can’t criticize his sentiment; he quite literally wouldn’t exist without them. The love they had for each other, then, was the real truth of this whole series. As for Truth, the guy? Yeah, he was an evil villain in one universe, but a Nirvash archetype in another. Go figure! Fleur, Elena, and Naru? They kinda get hosed in this episode. When an older, longer-haired Ao arrives at the post-quartz world of 2027, we unfortunately don’t get to see them, or how they might have changed. A wrap-up montage would have been nice.

Rating: 9 (Superior)

Eureka Seven AO – 23

Fleur fights Naru while Elena fights Truth, but Naru easily evades them all and escapes with Truth, citing even Ao’s Nirvash has no archetype and isn’t alive. Ao and Harlequin catch up to Truth and Naru at the Okinawa Plant Coral, where Truth backstabs Naru and grabs the Quartz Gun and fires it. Ao opens his eyes to another rewritten history where Truth never existed and he just destroyed the Allied forces stole the coral relic IFO, saving the world. Renton emerges from the portal and confronts Ao, who gets news that Eureka has appeared on the Triton. Renton and Ao hurry there, where the family is briefly reunited.

It’s been such a good Fall season, we’d put Eureka Seven AO completely out of our minds, so the arrival of the final two episodes was a shock, but a pleasant one. The penultimate episode wastes no time jumping back into the action after leaving us hanging…somewhere, somewhen with Renton nearly two months ago. The battle between Ao and Truth is ultimately resolved when Truth essentially commits suicide. He is convinced the current world’s history isn’t correct and he shouldn’t exist, at least in his current form. Thus the Quartz Gun is fired for the second time, causing another vast, complicated explosion, and causing history to change once more.

What’s cool is that Ao isn’t the only one who notices. Two short scenes between Gazelle and Nakamura efficiently show us they noticed too, and even though Okinawa is part of Japan again Nakamura still isn’t happy with how small Japan remains. It’s this timeline where Renton chooses to travel in order to meet with Eureka in her Nirvash…only Ao’s in it, and Eureka is some kind of “ghost”, wandering time, without physical form and unable to stay anytime for long. Could she be Ao’s Neo-Nirvash’s archetype Naru said was missing? What “choice” led to Eureka becoming like this? Where does Renton fit into all this? We’ll find out…later tonight.

Rating: 9 (Superior)

Rating: 10 (Masterpiece)

RABUJOI World Heritage List

Eureka Seven AO – 16

President Blanc decides to initiate Operation Polaris, in which all of Gen Bleu’s quartz will be launched from space and lure the secrets that have emerged to its landing spot in the North Pole, where it will be detonated, destroying the secrets. Naru fights a secret off in Iwato, while Pied Piper counts down the hours until they spring into action. Goldilocks takes out rogue Russian missles launched by a cyberattack, but the shock waves knock the quartz off course. Fleur and Elena take it as far as they can, and Fleur hands it off to Ao, who uses his third engine to get it back in orbit, where it transforms into a weapon. He destroys the secrets, but when he returns to Earth, something’s different…

The Olympics are over, and the Astral Ocean is back in full force, with a stellar action-packed romp that’s full of suspense, explosions, and more E7-esque surreality. To whit: Generation Bleu’s President Blance puts all his eggs in one basket (and asks Pied Piper to bring back South American coffee), and they have just one shot to get rid of the secrets that have popped up everywhere. Ao is determined not to let that shot destroy northern Scandanavia, where the McCafferty sisters’ family is at. When the stakes are as high as they can get and he’s the only hope, Ao steps up and gets the job done, even if orders are stretched. He does so with one of the more colorful and elaborate explosions we’ve seen in a while.

Before his heroics, we were getting a little worried about Ao – either due to recent events, the drugs Gazelle gave him, or a combination of the two, Ao having experiences, then abruptly waking up in a camp with Fleur and Elena nearby. He has a bizarre and unsettling dream involving Naru. He still thinks Eureka is his mother. And stranger still, while his actions avert a disaster in Norway, suddenly nobody’s ever heard of Maeve, Chloe, Maggie, or Goldilocks. It’s as if they’ve been erased from existence, or never existed in the first place. Ao is the only one remembers. What exactly did that crazy Quartz Cannon do?

Rating: 8 (Great)

Eureka Seven AO – 15

Nirvash is fixed as Generation Bleu tries to plan their next step. Han and Pippo are in Japan witnessing Nakamura’s continued parading of the Secret head; they report they’re getting close to communicating with it. When a dormant scub coral reawakens, Pied Piper goes after the secret, which has human form and shoots Ao down. Corals all over the world start to reawaken. Han and Pippo smuggle Georg into a server farm, and he is ‘hacked’ by the secret.

With all the recent doins’ transpirin’, it’s starting to look more and more like a crossroads is coming for Fukai Ao. It also seems like as brief as his mother Eureka’s presence in his timeline was, it was definitely some kind of catalyst. The scub corals are behaving like they never have before, the secrets are getting less and less secretive, and, as we said, Ao is torn between believing his mother’s insistance they’re not his enemies, and his comrades at Generation Bleu insistance that they are.

Ao isn’t the only one facing a tough choice (though it’s wearing on him to the point he needs pills from Gazelle to sleep); Fleur’s dad Cristophe Blanc needs to decide who to fight: the scub coral, the secrets…or both. There’s a sense of hesitation in Ivica’s talk with him: what if the secrets are allies simply protecting their dimension? Blanc’s ultimate decision is to use the massive stockpile of quartz they’ve extracted from scub corals as secret bait. We’d probably just maintain a high-alert wait-and-see position before going after one side or the other, but maybe Blanc knows something we don’t. He’s the boss for a reason.

Rating: 7 (Very Good)

Eureka Seven AO – 14

After communicating with the Coralians, who are partially occupying her body, Naru emerges back on Iwato Island. After helping Eureka return to where she belongs through use of the pillar of light, Ao visits Iwato Island where he learns his real father didn’t abandon Eureka, but was fighting for him. Before leaving, Eureka insisted she was pregnant with a girl, not a boy. Ao visits Naru at the hospital, but they’re both arrested by Nakamura and the JAF, who have invaded Iwato. Naru escapes with the help of a real coral and unearths the Mk. I. Eureka travelled in, and when Ao hesitates joining her, she flies off with Truth.

This week we get a new OP, a new ED, and a whole lotta new, big developments. Ao and Generation Bleu are faced with two possible truths: either it’s as Naru says and the Coralians are only interested in communication and coexistence, or it’s as Nakamura says; the Scub coral are an invading force, and secrets are the earth’s defense mechanism. Nakamura retrieves a secret fragment and parades it over the airwaves like it’s King Kong, and the international community okays his invasion of Iwato. He wants Naru under quarantine and for Ao to pay for his crime of attacking the JAF and killing Colonel Endo. The usually neutral Gen Bleu can’t do much.

Who are we to believe? Well, we’re more inclined to believe Naru about the Coralians, but she’s so cold towards Ao, we have to wonder about her motives, especially since she’s not 100% Naru anymore. Her transformation into something nearly as enigmatic and powerful as Truth was something we weren’t expecting. As for Eureka having a girl…what does that mean; Ao has a sister out there somewhere? And why was Elena hellbent on killing Eureka? For every mystery this episode shed light on, many more remain. But we’re definitely enjoying the ride.

Rating: 8 (Great)

Eureka Seven AO – 13

Rating: 7
 (Very Good)

Eureka Seven AO – 12

Pied Piper launches into space to deal with a scub coral that has arrived in orbit. They dock at a station occupied by Team Harlequin, led by Chief Hannah, who is interested in Ao. She and her “kids” tell him he’s an alien, as evidenced by his ability to see trapar, and is unnerved when he can’t see it in space. After destroying the secret, Ao heads for the scub coral, when it is attacked by a Japanese railgun satellite and starts to fall to earth. Nirvash can’t escape, but as the coral burns away it reveals a ship: the Gekko-Go, and a second Nirvash. After landing in the ocean, the other Nirvash pilot introduces herself as Eureka.

It was cool enough to see Pied Piper in space for the first time (and all the sundry novelties of a new environment), but we also get some major reveals. Ao learns quite a bit: he’s some kind of alien, at least partially related not only to Truth, but the secrets too. It’s great to see elements from the first series return: namely the Gekko-Go, the other Nirvash, and most importantly, Eureka herself, who no longer has that facial scarring. Her sudden emergence from the scub coral at just the right time suggests the coral affords some kind of transportation, both for secrets, and her.

The episode has a lot of new music tracks, Fleur and Elena get some good scenes and great lines and moments, we get a glimpse of Gazelle, Naru, Truth, and Nakamura, and even learn something about Truth’s past! But the big news here is that the time for keeping secrets from Ao has ended, even if doing so was for his own protection. Reuniting with his mother (if it is indeed the same Eureka) is something he’s always dreamed would happen, and now that she’s here, if I were him I’d have quite a few questions already spooled up.

Rating: 9 (Superior)

Eureka Seven AO – 07

Without warning or declaration of hosilities, Truth singlehandedly wrecks havoc upon Generation Bleu, easily breaching security forces and eventually entering the hangar bay. Ao launches Nirvash with Truth clinging to it, and he unleashes a huge monster. Scenes unfold back on Iwate island, where a trapar factory is being built on the site of the scub coral. Naru approaches the coral and is met by Ao (actually Truth in disguise). He shows her she doesn’t need her inhaler, and she can fly if she wants to. The real Ao shows up and chases Truth, but Naru makes him stop and flies off with Truth, her “sea giant”. Ao wakes up in the hospital next to Fleur and Elena, but they show him a news report of Naru’s abduction.

What do Nazo no Kanojo X, Sakamichi no Apollon, Hyouka, Natsuiro Kiseki, Jormungand, and Sankarea all have in common? They’ve all had at least one episode we’ve seen fit to award a “9” or “Superior” rating. Eureka Seven AO has yet to accomplish that feat, despite being a remarkably consistent, entertaining and well-made series. This week is no exception. While imbued with exciting action, a rousing siege situation at Gen Bleu HQ, and some very strange psychological dream sequences, we found ourselves a bit lost throughout the episode. It’s not impossible to enjoy a story that leaves us in the dark, but in this case, the intrigue was overshadowed by our frustration. In short: we wanted the episode to throw us a bone, and it refused to do so.

Chalk up a lot of our frustration to this “Truth” fellow. After a quick and rather random introduction last week, this week he goes right at the heart of Gen Bleu’s strength, in search of “truth”, which is also his preferred name for himself. He goes after Ao at first, apparently knowing his mother Eureka, but when he sees Ao isn’t going to play ball with him, he goes after Ao’s friend Naru. Hardly anything Truth says makes any sense; he’s trying way too hard to be cryptic and mysterious, and his motives strike us as just as perplexing. His plan changes in the middle of the episode, and we’re suddenly back in Ao’s hometown. Super-omnipotent god-like beings are often tricky because there are so many directions you can take them, and their potential can be overwhelming. That was the case this week; the episode lost us and didn’t bother explaining anything.

Rating: 5 (Average)


Preservation! cost is about $40,000. This doesn’t even include

Preservation! Many people go on with their lives without thinking
about the cost behind the electricity that is entangled into our day to day
activities. To be more specific, I’m talking about the use of non-renewable
resources. Individuals are ill-informed of the impacts that non-renewable resources
have on the environment. Renewable resources on the other hand, have less
impact on the environment. The three resources that my town will use are solar
energy, wind energy, and biomass. The factors I have taken into account for my
town’s energy needs are efficiency, and the availability of these methods.

            The first
method of energy production that I chose was solar energy. Solar energy is
derived from energy conversion inside solar panels. I chose this energy type
because solar energy is easily renewable. One advantage of solar energy, is
that it is a good, clean energy alternative for fossil fuels. Another advantage
of solar energy is that there is no waste production. You don’t need to throw
anything afterwards because it’s just the conversion of solar cells. On the
other hand, there are disadvantages that come with using this resource. This
includes the cost of storage and the fact that this form of energy is weather
dependent. As you know, the sun does not shine 24/7 due to night time and the
different weather phases. In order to keep up with the demand for electricity,
solar panels must always have stored energy.

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            The second
method of energy production that I chose was wind energy. It is formed from the
conversion of air movement to electricity. I chose this energy resource because
wind doesn’t contribute to pollution. Two advantages of wind energy are that
wind energy is free, and the harvesting of this energy does not affect cycles. A
downside to choosing wind energy is that technology is extremely expensive. A 10 kW wind turbine costs about
$48,000 – 65,000 to install and the equipment cost is about $40,000. This doesn’t even include shipping
and installation. The cost of wind farms could be millions upon millions of
dollars. Two more disadvantages of wind turbines are the noise that they
create, and the aesthetical impact. Wind farms are known to create lots of
noise, and this could lead to issues in nearby communities. Many people also
state that wind turbines ruin the aesthetical impact and block views.

            The third and final
energy source that I have chosen is biomass. Biomass is formed from organic
matter. I chose biomass as one of my energy resources because biomass helps
decrease pollution in the community. An advantage of biomass is that biomass
reduces waste in landfills because the organic matter that normally would end
up in landfills, would instead be converted into fuel. Biomass can be converted
into fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. One risk associated with biomass is
the increase in methane gas. The bacteria in manure are responsible for the
creation of this explosive gas that displaces oxygen. The final risk involved
with biomass is deforestation. According
to the U.S. Energy Information Agency, every 1 percent increase in biomass
electricity production requires an 18 percent increase in U.S. forest harvest

            The three energy resources that I
have chosen are solar energy, wind energy, and biomass. I chose these energy
resources and no other available energy resources because they are the cleanest
options, I did not want to use fossil fuels, and they have the little impact on
the environment. I predict that environmental groups would be happy that I am
making an effort to reduce pollution. I anticipate that consumers would have an
issue with the high costs associated with these forms of energy. Lastly, I expect
the general public to be displeased with the amount of solar panels, biomass
factories, and wind farms located throughout the town.